Adjustable spring compressor



Nov. 9, 1965 M. RATZ ADJUSTABLE SPRING COMPRESSOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledSept. 16, 1965 Nov. 9, 1965 -rz ADJUSTABLE SPRING COMPRESSOR 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1965 INVENTOR. M/ (71041. 1 F472 BY IUnited States Patent 3,216,098 ADJUSTABLE SPRING COMPRESSOR MichaelRatz, 2956 Tyson Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Sept. 16, 1963, Ser. No.309,353 Claims. (Cl. 29226) My invention relates to a spring compressorof the type shown, for example, in Patent No. 3,078,556 issued to R.Carroll on February 26, 1963.

Modern automatic transmissions include a sleeve, a thrust plate, acompression spring (one end of which bears against the thrust plate), aretainer bearing against the other end of the spring and a split ringseated in a groove in the sleeve, and the arrangement is such that, toseat the split ring in the groove, the spring must be materiallycompressed. In its compressed state, the spring exerts a great forceagainst the thrust plate and the retainer end, hence against the splitring. When, for inspection or repair, it becomes necessary to dismantlethe parts, the split ring must be removed before the retainer can slideoff the sleeve. To remove the split ring must be compressed.

The object of this invention is to produce an improved spring compressorfor the purpose set forth.

The retainer, against which the spring-compressing force must beexerted, is of a larger diameter in one car than it is in another. Hencethe adjustability shown, for example, in the Carroll patent aforesaid.But, in all makes of cars, by choice, or by necessity, the retainer(part 7 of the Carroll patent) is made of relatively thin plate, as inCarroll, and the great pressure needed is exerted at more or less widelyspaced points with the result that the retainer gets bent or warped.

It is therefore a still further object of the invention to produce animproved, adjustable spring compressor which applies the requisite forceover large surface areas so as to avoid bending or deforming theretainer.

A still further object is to produce a compressor of the type set forthwhich, except for the screw and the screw thread engaged thereby, can bemade of a rough casting so as to have the requisite strength at minimumcost.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the followingspecification and the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is anenlarged, perspective, exploded view of a spring compressor embodying myinvention.

FIG. 2 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section,showing a spring compressor embodying this invention adjusted forcompressing a spring held in position by a retainer of relatively smalldiameter.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing the compressor adjusted forcompressing a spring held in position by a retainer of a relativelylarge diameter.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 on FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragment perspective view of the member shown at the upperright hand corner of FIG. 1.

In the drawing there is shown a gear 10 which is adapted to be biased,downwardly as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, by a spring 12 which bearsagainst thrust plate 14 and which is held in its compressed condition byretainer 16. The retainer 16 is held in place by split ring 18 whichseats in groove 20 formed in sleeve 22. The parts thus far recited formno part of the present invention and are recited as background againstwhich the invention can be described and claimed. This being the case,it is thought suflicient to say that, to dismantle the parts, springcompresssing force must be applied to retainer 16 to move it out ofengagement with split ring 18 to permit removal of the latterpreparatory to removal of retainer 16, spring 12, etc.

3,216,098 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 The compressor of my invention includestelescoping members 24 and 25 which includes horizontal portions 28 and30 and vertical portions or legs 32 and 34 respectively. Horizontalportion 28 is provided with a relatively long slot 36 and with sideflanges 38 which coact with horizontal portion 28 to form a channel forreceiving the horizontal portion 30 of member 25 as best shown in FIG.5. Horizontal member 30 is provided with a slot 40 which, when thedevice is assembled, registers with, but which need not be as long asslot 36. Horizontal portion 30 is also provided with a threaded hole 42which is engageable with a cap screw 44, the shank of which is longenough and narrow enough to pass through slot 36 to hole members 24 and25 in adjusted position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. It will be noted thathorizontal portion 30 is offset, or shouldered as at 46 so as to permitflanges 38 to move to the left as viewed in FIG. 1, past the left handend of horizontal portion 30 of member 25. From FIGS. 1 and 5, it can bereadily seen that shoulders 46 increase the range of adjustment and thatthe bearing of flanges 38 against the sides of portion 30, provides thenecessary stability.

Legs 32 and 34 are identical except for leg 32 having a slot 50 largeenough to permit the passage therethrough of the horizontal portion 30of member 34 and except for leg 34 being shorter than leg 32 by thethickness of horizontal portion 30. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, legs32 and 34 are arcuate in horizontal section and are of a relatively widearea so that their bottom edges contact relatively large, arcuate areasall of which makes for very effective distribution of the springcompressive force. I have found by actual controlled tests that theshape and area of the bottom ends of legs 32 and 34 permits theapplication of more force, without bending or warping the relativelythin retainer 16, than would be possible if the bottom edges of legs 32and 34 were straight or relatively thin in cross section, or with thepoint contact of the limited surfaces 25 of Carroll for example.

Pressure is applied to the retainer by means of a threaded rod 52, oneend of which engages a threaded hole in thrust block 54 and which passesthrough slots 40 and 36 to be engaged by nut 56 bearing against lockwasher 58 whereby turning nut 56 in one direction applies pressureagainst retainer 16 and vice versa. In practice, rod 52 is passedthrough slots 40 and 36, horizontal portions are telescoped to thedesired position, cap screw 44 is tightened, and nut 56 is turned untilspring 12 is compressed enough to permit removal of split ring 18 whereupon nut 56 is reversed until spring 12 is unleaded, or relaxed.

What I claim is:

1. A spring compressing device including a pair of elongated, pressuretransmitting members comprising over over lapping arms and legssubstantially normal to said arms, respectively, there being registeringelongated slots in said arms, a thrust block, a rod secured to saidblock and having a portion thereof, passing through said slots andextending beyond said arms, said portion being threaded, a nut engagingsaid portion and rotatable to move said member in the direction of saidblock to compress a spring confined between said block and said arms.

2. The structure recited in claim 1, in which said legs are arcuate incross section and between /s and /2 inch thick at their contact withsaid plate.

3. A spring compressing device including a first elongated arm, a secondelongated arm, legs carried by said arms and disposed substantiallynormally thereto, respectively, said first arm having an elongatedlongitudinal slot disposed therein, said second arm having a slottherein, there being an opening in the leg of said first arm throughwhich said second arm may be passed, longitudinal side flanges dependingfrom said first arm, the space between said flanges being not less thanthe width of said second arm, a threaded block, a rod secured at one endthereof to said block and passing through said slots, a portion of saidrod being threaded, a nut engageable with said threaded portion, andmeans for securing said arms against relative movement.

4. The device defined in claim 3 wherein the junction 'of said leg withsaid first arm is shouldered to provide side ledges for slidablysupporting said flanges.

5. The device defined in claim 4 wherein the length of said second armis so related to the length of said first arm that when said flangesengage said ledges, the end of said second arm will enter said opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 WILLIAMFELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

1. A SPRING COMPRESSING DEVICE INCLUDING A PAIR OF ELONGATED, PRESSURETRANSMITTING MEMBERS COMPRISING OVER OVER LAPPING ARMS AND LEGSSUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID ARMS, RESPECTIVELY, THERE BEING REGISTERINGELONGATED SLOTS IN SAID ARMS, A THRUST BLOCK, A ROD SECURED TO SAIDBLOCK AND HAVING A PORTION THEREOF, PASSING THROUGH SAID SLOTS ANDEXTENDING BEYOND SAID ARMS, SAID PORTION BEING THREADED, A NUT ENGAGINGSAID PORTION AND ROTATABLE TO MOVE SAID MEMBER IN THE DIRECTION OF SAIDBLOCK TO COMPRESS A SPRING CONFINED BETWEEN SAID BLOCK AND SAID ARMS.